Fred Roden was born on 21st September 1892, in Wollerton/Hodnet near Market Drayton, Shropshire, to parents Joseph Roden (1853) and Elizabeth née Ralphs (1854). Joseph and Elizabeth married in Market Drayton, Shropshire, in 1876. Joseph was a Farm Labourer; they would have 12 children, all born in Market Drayton. Emily was born 1876, William born in 1878, Thomas was born 1880, James born 09.05.1883, George Henry born 1886 died aged 3 in 1889, Female twins born 1888 died in infancy, Lizzie was born in 1890, Fred born 1892, Rose born 31.03.1895, Twins Edith and John born 21.05.1897. 

The 1881 census shows Joseph Roden (28), Farm Labourer, living with wife Elizabeth (26), daughter Emily (4), and sons William (2) and baby Thomas all living at 23 The Warrant, Drayton in Hales, Sutton, Shropshire. 

The 1891 census shows the family still living in Sutton, Drayton in Hales, Shropshire: Joseph Roden (38) still working as an agricultural labourer, Elizabeth (36), William (12), Thomas (10), James (7), Lizzie (1/12 ). 

The 1901 census shows Fred and the Roden family now living at Stoke Heath, Shropshire. Joseph's father, Thomas (78), heads the family, Joseph (48), a Farm Labourer, Elizabeth (46), daughter Lizzie (10), Fred (8), Rose (6), and twins Edith and John (3). 

Joseph Roden died at the age of 53 in 1906; his death was registered in Market Drayton, Shropshire. 

Some time between 1906 and the 1911 census, Fred and his Family moved to Stoke on Trent. With his older brothers missing from the 1901 census in Shropshire, we can assume they moved to Stoke-on-Trent earlier than the rest of the family. 

The 1911 census shows widowed Elizabeth (56) head of the family living at 108 Ashford Street, Shelton, Hanley, Stoke On Trent, with her grown sons now present William (32) single, a Painter (Railways), Thomas (30) single, Warehouse Worker (Railway), Lizzie (20) single, Help at Home, Fred (18) single, Potters Turner, Rose (16) single, Tailoress, Edith (13) an Earthenware Painter Pottery, John (13) Grocery Errand Boy.  

The 1911 census shows Fred's brother James Roden married to Florence nee Hemmings living at 5 Park Street, Stoke on Trent working as a Brick Layer, James and Florrie married in 1908 and had one daughter Elsie (2).   

Unfortunately, we don't have service records for Fred, so his actual enlistment date is not known. We do, however, have a picture of his experience of the war in that the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers on 12 May 1915, packed up its base at Hightown Barracks in Wrexham and moved to Litherland Camp near Liverpool.

The month was spent setting up the new camp, putting recruits through intensive infantry drills, and assembling reinforcement drafts. Men were also deployed to guard the strategic Mersey shipping docks.

The battalion's primary purpose was to act as a pipeline for the frontline. They took in and trained recruits, and they processed and rehabilitated experienced soldiers returning from sick leave before sending them back to the active theatres of war.

Sadly, Fred contracted Pneumonia and, after 8 days, died of acute Pneumonia and Cardiac failure on the 25th of May 1915 at the Military Hospital ‘Windy Knowe’ Great Crosby. In attendance was his sister-in-law Florence Roden of 65 Campbell Road, Stoke-on-Trent. Florence was the wife of James Roden, who at that time was Company Quarter Master Sergeant 14462 of the Shropshire Light Infantry. It isn't clear when James Roden actually enlisted, but from his medal index card, we can see he entered the theatre of war in France on the 6th September 1915. James was discharged from service on 15.06.1919. His pension index shows his disabilities as Malaria and Neurasthenia.  

Fred was not entitled to any medals as he had not served in a Theatre of war; he is remembered in the Royal Doulton Memorial Burslem. 

He is mentioned in the Sentinel Newspaper September 20th 1915 Roll of Honour. 

He is also remembered in The Welsh National Book of Remembrance for the First World War; this book contains the names of 35,000 servicemen and women, as well as members of Welsh Regiments, who lost their lives in the First World War. These individuals are listed according to regiment and battalion alongside the names of those who might well have died alongside them.

The 1921 census shows Fred's Sister Rose (26), a tailoress, married to Leonard Walter Swetnam (27), an Insurance agent, living at 108 Botteslow Street, Hanley, with their 2-year-old daughter Marjorie Winifred. With them was living widowed Mother Elizabeth (66), William Roden (42), single, working as a painter (Railways), Thomas (40), single, Drayman (Railways), Lizzie (30), a domestic servant, Edith (24), a tailoress, and John (24), House Painter Decorator.  

The 1921 census shows James Roden (38), married, working as a General Labourer, living alone at 65 Campbell Street, Stoke-on-Trent. It appears Florence and Elsie were in Blackpool on holiday with Florence's widowed mother, Mary Ann Hemmings; the address given was 67 Albert Road, Blackpool. 

The 1939 Register shows James Roden married, a Labourer Demolition work living at 47 Broad Street, Stoke On Trent with his wife Florence (26.03.1890), daughter Dorothy (14.07.1922), a Cashier, and son Dennis (16.07.1924), an apprentice Retail & Grocer.      

Fred's sister Rose is living with her husband Leonard Walter, a Ceramics Lithographer, and daughter Marjorie W (28.11.1918), a Pottery Paintress, and son Frank B (27.11.1922), Incapacitated at 40 Longton Road; there is a further record redacted.  

Fred's elderly mother Elizabeth, now incapacitated, is living with her daughter Edith and her husband James Pickford, an Iron Moulder at 168 Wieldon Road, Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent. They married in 1930. 

Mother Elizabeth Roden died aged 89 in 1944. 

Sources: 

• FreeBMD. England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.
• FreeBMD. England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.
• 1881 census Class: RG11; Piece: 2675; Folio: 37; Page: 6; GSU roll: 1341641
• The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891; Class: RG12; Piece: 2128; Folio: 109; Page: 4; GSU roll: 6097238
• 1901 census Class: RG13; Piece: 2560; Folio: 48; Page: 2
• The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
• The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; 1921 Census Returns; Reference: RG 15/12680, ED 38, Sch 85; Book: 12680
• Rose Swetnam: The National Archives; Kew, London, England; 1939 Register; Reference: RG 101/5293B
• https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000347/19150920/069/0004
• https://uk.forceswarrecords.com/file/644478204?terms=14462%2Croden
• https://uk.forceswarrecords.com/image/324318767/roden-james-page-10-uk-wwi-british-army-medal-roll-index-cards-1914-1920?terms=14462%2Croden
• https://uk.forceswarrecords.com/sub-image/618926228/roden-frederick-uk-british-army-registers-of-soldiers-effects-1901-1929?terms=23519%2Croden
• https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/396581/f-roden/
• https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/royal-welsh-fusiliers/